Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-04-27
lIFeBoArs DRIVEN BY STEAM.
why should Oars Always BE Relied
Upon In the Surf

Why should Oars Always BE Relied
Upon In the Surf
One Of the subjects now occupying the
attention of the officers in charge Of the
life saving stations of the United States is
the substitution of some other power for
prope!ling lifeboats through the surf than
the muscles of the crews, exerted through
long heavy oars. The proposition to sub
stitute steam launches for rowboats is not
a new one, but no practical attempt to
make the change has ever been made.
The proposition has simply been dis.
cussed. The need of something more
trustworthy than oars in the hands OF
men who are drenched to the skin with
freezing salt spray, and exhausted, per-
haps, with a long pull from the beach &c
the wreck, and the e%xertions of getting
the sailors from the wreck into the boat.
is apparent to any one who considers the
subject. Even in a smooth sea II is no
small task for a crew TO force the big two
ton boat through the water. 1t is likely
that fora sweepstakes of 500 ona pleas
ant day they might row over a three mile
straightaway course in an hour. But in
the face of "a winter gale, when men are
dropping from the rigging Of a stranded
vessel into the surf. and a minute delay
may mean the loss Of a human life, then
il is all that the crews can do TO make
any Roadway.
To the ordinary observer the construc-
ton Of a steam engine, boiler, shaft and
wheel fit to drive a twenty-five foot boat
seems a simple matter. II is, in fact,
easy 10 build a stanch steam launch of
that size. But steam launches are sup
posed to ride over the waves. while a
iifeboat must frequently go through
them. Any ordinary sort of a steam
boiler fired by coal would be drowned out
by the first curler that dropped INTO the
boat. But that need moi discourage in
ventprs who want To use steam Ia drive
a lifelnat. Steam boilers can iE heated
by petroleum or 10y compressed gas, and
these fuels. with the necessary mir To
produce combustion, might Ia pumped
into a water tight iirebox. Nor need the
inventors contine themselves Ia steam en-
gines. Within a year or s. exceedingly
compact and powerful engines, operated
by the explosion Of crude petroleum and
air in the cylinder Of the engine. have
come into USE and are highly recon-
mended by those who have used them.
1t is apparent that n Of these machines
could le adapted 10 n lifeboat. for Lieut..
Ialinski nj Fort Hamilton proposed To USE
one in the submarine torpedo boat with
which he is experimenting. Equally easy
To adapt Ia the purlu>c would Inc some of
the mulcrn gas engines. IN which the
power comes from ignitIns a quantity Of
Illuminating gas mixed with air.
\ regular lifrlnlt, acck,ri over at the
water line. built with compartments,
supplied with an iron keel for ballast.
might liz fitted with n steam engine. The
increase If weight would I've an obiec-
ton. hut the increase of speed when
once she was ailOat. aud the comfort Of
her crew. who would not le required to
wear themselves out at the oars, and the
certainty that the boat could meet ever
the largest breakers when backing toward
the beach. and the fact that the compare
lively fresh crew could, if necessary. in
this the most critical point Of the trip.
get out a couple Of uars Ia help keep the
boat bows on. arr considerations that
would probably outweigh all objections.
New York Sun.